Turbine-nozzle manifold



Aug. 7, 1928-. Y 1,679,496

J. L. RAY

TURBINE NOZZLE MANIFOLD Filed March 28, 1924 IL Ra wnmsssss; INVE TOR I I BY FE ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 7, 19 28 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I AMES L. BAY, OF ESSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELEG- TRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TURBINE-NOZZLE MANIFOLD.

Application filed March 28,

My invention relates to steam turbines havin a rotor with a plurality of blades carrie thereby and a group of nozzles for expanding the steam and directing it against the blades, and has for an object to provide an improved nozzle manifold therefor which shall be simple of design, easy to manufacture and capable of resisting relatively high pressures of steam.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus, of the character designated forged from one piece of metal which shall be of curved outline to accommodate itself to the periphery of the rotor and shall have a smooth curved passage therein for the distribution of steam.

A further object of my invention is to provide a method of making apparatus of the character designated from one piece of forged steel.

These and other objects are accomplished by my improved apparatus and the method of making the same illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1 is a cross section of a turbine with a portion of the rotor cut away, the nozzles removed and having my improved nozzle manifold applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the nozzle manifold taken along the line II--II of Fig. 1 and also showing in section a nozzle box attached to the manifold and a ortion of the rotor disc with its blades; Fig. 3 is a view of a forging illustrating the first steps in the making of my improved manifold; Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a further ste in the making of the manifold.

l leretofore, in the design of steam turbines operating at pressures up to 350 pounds per square inch, nozzle manifolds, as known to me, have been cast and provided with an opening along one side to which the nozzles are attached. To enable such manifolds to withstand the pressures to which they are subjected, it has been necessary to rigidly stay them with stay bolts.

In the more recent development of steam turbines, higher pressures are employed than was formerly the case, so that at the present time, pressures up to 1200 pounds per square inch are not unheard of. As the pressures employed have increased it has become more and more difiicult to provide a nozzle manifold of suflicient strength and 1924. Serial no. 702,492.

rigidity to withstand the pressure to which it i i is subjected and, due to the great amount of staying required, to provide for a free passage and distribution of steam to the nozzles.

To solve these difficulties, it has been proposed to cast a manifold with integral ribs or stays, but such a construction has, like its predecessors, been diflicult to make so as to have the necessary strength and to provide, at the same time, for a proper distribution of steam to the nozzles.

To overcome the aforementioned difficulties, I provide a nozzle manifold made from one piece of forged metal, preferably steel. In the construction of this manifold a bar or block of the metal of the desired size is first taken and is provided with a main distributin passage for the steam. The block is afterward heated, bent to the required shape, cooled and finished by machining.

For the distribution of steam to the nozzles, I provide in the face of the manifold, a distributing channel and connect this channel to the .main steam passage of the manifold by ports suflieiently spaced as to leave ample metal between them to maintain a structure of great strength and rigidity.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show in Fig. 1 a steam turbine having a rotor 10 carrying blades 11. For expanding the steam and directing it against the blades, I show in Fig. 2 nozzles 12 and 13. The nozzles 12 and 13 are secured to my improved nozzle manifold 14 by any suitable means such as wedges 16 and studs .17, the latter screwed into the face of the manifold 14.

The manifold 14 is made from one piece of forged metal and is supported in the turbine by any suitable means, such as by studs 15. It is curved in an arcuate shape to permit attachment of the nozzles 12 and 18 in an arc conforming with the periphery of the turbine rotor 10. A main distributing passage 18 extends from end to end of the manifold and is curved in the same general direction, A supply conduit 19 conveys steam to the manifold and a passage 21 leads from the supply conduit 19 to the distributing passage 18. The distributing passage 18 is closed at each end as by plugs 22 and 23 which may, after insertion, be welded in place.

For conveying the steam from the distributing passage 18 to the nozzles, a suitable number of holes or ports 24-24 lead therefrom to a distributing channel 26 machined in the face of the manifold 14. The holes or ports 2424 are so spaced as to maintain a strong and rigid structure along the side of the main assage 18 capable of withstanding the higii steam pressure therein.

The nozzles 12 as before pointed out are secured to the face of the manifold 14 and are in communication with the distributing passage 18, through the holes or ports 24-24 and the distributing channel 26.

In making the manifold 14, I first forge a block or bar of metal, preferably steel, to a rectangular shape as shown in Figs. 3 and a and having a rectangular projection 27 intermediate the ends thereof. lVhile in the rough, I drill the distributing passage 18 from end to end of the bar, after which the bar is heated and bent to the desired shape as shown in Fig. 5. In order to prevent distortion of the passage 18 in the process of bending, I fill it with sand or other refractory material before bending. The passage 21 is next formed in the manifold, being drilled through the rectangular projection 27 into the passage 18. After this step the face of the block is machined to form the distributing channel 26 and arranged for the attachment of the nozzles 12 and 13. In this operation, the holes or ports 24-2-f are formed leading from the distributing channel 26 to the passage 18. The manifold is then finally finished and means provided for securing the same in the turbine.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have invented a nozzle manifold simple of design and capable of withstanding very high pressures and that I have pro vided a simple method of making the same from one piece of forged metal.

lVhile I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modi cations, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A high-pressure turbine nozzle manifold formed from one piece of forged steel, and having therein a circumscribed curved distributing passage and a plurality of ports communicating therewith, said ports being so spaced as to leave sufficient metal around said passage to withstand the high pressure therein.

2. In a high-pressure elastic fluid turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades carried thereby, a nozzle manifold made of one piece of forged steel and bent to an arc conforming to the periphery of the turbine rotor, said manifold having a passage extending therethrough in a concentric arc, means providing a plurality of expansion nozzles disposed along said passage for directing elastic fluid against said blades, said manifold having a plurality of ports leading from said passage to said nozzles, said ports being so spaced as to rovide sufficient metal therebetween to wit stand the high pressure in said passage, and a steam supply passage leading to said passage.

3. In a high-pressure elastic fluid turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades carried thereby, a nozzle manifold made of one piece of forged steel and bent to an arc conforming to the periphery of the turbine rotor, said manifold having a passage extending therethrough in a concentric are, means providing a plurality of expansion nozzles disposed along said passage for direeting elastic fluid against said blades, said manifold having a plurality of ports leading from said passage to said nozzles, said ports being so spaced as to provide sufiicient metal therebetween to withstand the high pressure in said passage, means closing the ends of said passage, and a steam supply passage leading to said curved assage.

4. In a steam turbine aving a rotor with a plurality of blades carried thereby and a group of nozzles for expanding the steam and directing it against the blades, a onepieee forged nozzle manifold curved to permit attachment of the nozzles in an are conforming with the periphery of the turbine rotor, said nozzle manifold having a steam supply passage communicating with a supply conduit, a smooth curved passage extending therethrough for the distribution of steam to the nozzles, said assage being closed at each end, a distributing channel in the face of the manifold communicating with the nozzles, and a plurality of ports connectin the distributing channel with the curved passages.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of March, 1924.

JAMES L. RAY. 

